HomeBoy
by BarrelRacer13
Summary: a some-what depressing one-shot. involves a little Tratie, some brotherly love in the end, a song-fic. the song belongs to Eric Church


**This song has been driving me crazy for weeks. You can kinda say this is a Tratie story, but hardly. It's a really good song too. **

'**Homeboy' belongs to Eric Church. I just like the song **

**This**** takes place when Travis and Conner are in their early Twenties **

TRAVIS'S POV

I sighed heavily, and leaned on the counter. Stupid Conner. He should've just came with me back to Colorado. But no, he had to get into trouble. Katie walked over, and put a hand on my shoulder.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Conner got in trouble with the law." I sighed again.

"Like you never got in trouble with the law." She joked. I glared at her. This was not funny.

She sighed. "What did he do?"

"He beat up our step dad, stole his car, wrecked a hardware store and stole the money from it, and when the cops found him, he was getting ready to attack our mom. He got arrested."

"Maybe it's for the best…"

"He's my brother! He's had my back since kindergarten! But then he made those stupid jerks, and turned into one of them."

"And there's nothing you can do about it now. Come on. The neighbors brought over some brownies." She tried to drag me away.

"No. I'm going back to New York, and I'm going to get him out of there. Or at least talk to him." and my mind was set.

_You were too bad for a little square town  
>with your hip-hop hat and your pants on the ground<br>Heard you cussed out momma, pushed daddy around  
>You tore off in his car<br>Here you are runnin' these dirty old streets  
>Tattoo on your neck, fake gold on your teeth<br>Got the hood here snow, but you cant fool me, we both know who you are_

I fed the horses, before heading to the airport, and flying to NY. Walking through the city reminded me of the good years. Back when me and Conner were helping save the world, fighting against monsters ten times are size. Being betrayed by our half brother, being hated by Katie, pulling pranks on everyone for no reason….it all came back.

When I got to the prison Conner was at, I couldn't help but hope it was just a messed up prank call that told me he was arrested. The guy at the desk looked bored, but alert.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"I need to speak with one of the prisoners. Conner Stoll?"

"Sorry. No visitors. He's dangerous-"

"I'm his brother. Let me see him." I'm not sure exactly how it worked, but the guy sighed and told a near by cop to bring me to Conner.__

_Homeboy your gonna wish one day you were sittin' on the gate of a truck by the lake  
>with your high school fame on one side, ice cold beer on the other<br>Ain't no shame in a blue collar forty, little house little kids little small town story  
>If you don't ever do anything else for me just do this for me brother, come on home, boy<br>_

"You idiot!" I yelled at him. I had been trying to talk sense into him, but it wasn't working. "I know you better then you know yourself! You don't belong in a city! You belong on a ranch, like we were when we were kids. You can help me with horses, back down home."

"No, Travis! You don't know me. This is my life now." He crossed his arms.

"Prison? That's your life, Conner? You don't miss all the fun we used to have? Catching snakes in the barn, chasing mice, chasing birds with the dogs? Frilly is still alive. She's old and blind now, but Bud leads her around everywhere." I said. Frilly was a rescue dog that Conner basicly fell in love with when he came to visit one year. And Bud was another dog. Both were Coonhounds.

_I's haulin' this hay, Uncle Joe's farm  
>Thought of us bare foot kids in the yard<br>Man it seems we were just catchin' snakes in the barn  
>now you're caught up in this mess<br>I can use a little help unloadin' these bails  
>I can keep ya pretty busy with a hammer and a nail<br>Ain't a glamorous life, but it'll keep you outta jail  
>and not worry us all to death<br>_

"I don't care. The old mutt can die already." Conner grumbled. I just looked at him saddly. He didn't look like Conner anymore. He was wearing his black jeans half way down his butt, and had a baseball cap on backwards, scars on his face that aren't from demigod stuff, tattoos covered his arms…

"What happened to you, Conner? We used to be buddies. Always together, messing with the other cabins at camp, partners in school projects…now you're just a jerk. And the whole 'pants half-way down your butt' thing started by a bunch of gay dudes in prison who wanted a little bed-time fun. Hope you find a nice gay friend soon!" and then I left. He was staring at me in shock. I have nothing against gay couples, but I never called anyone gay, let alone my brother.

_Homeboy your gonna wish one day you were sittin' on the gate of a truck by the lake  
>with your high school fame on one side, ice cold beer on the other<br>Ain't no shame in a blue collar forty, little house little kids little small town story  
>If you don't ever do anything else for me just do this for me brother, come on home, boy<br>_

That Christmas was possibly one of the worst ever. This first chirstmas without Conner. Frilly died that afternoon, whining, and I knew she was waiting for Conner. But her poor, sweet heart couldn't hold out anymore. Mom came over, and she was getting old, and just this month she had been told she had cancer in her heart. Any day now would be her last, and she was determined to spend it with 'her boys'. But Conner wouldn't be here. And Christmas night, she passed away too. So I had a dead dog, a dead mother, no brother, no girlfriend (Katie left a while ago…I still talked to her every now and then, but I haven't talked to her for three months). Bud had been missing for hours. and went to find him, I saw him in the road, but before I could call him to me, and car came flying out of no where, and hit him. Drunk drivers just killed my only dog. I was truly alone now.

I didn't want to get up the next day. Mom was off to the funeral preparing thingy. They weren't doing funerals until next week though. And I had buried the dogs after someone came to get mom.

_You can't hold back the hands of time  
>Momma's goin' grey and so is Daddy's mind<br>I wish you'd come on back and make it alright  
>before they're called…home, boy<em>

But when the phone next to my bed rang, and I saw the caller I.D, I had to answer. It was Katie. Maybe she would know how to cheer me up…

"Hello?" I sniffled.

"Travis? You sound terrible." She stated.

"The world is terrible."

"Okay, what happened?"

"Everyone died."

"A nightmare?"

"No! Frilly died Christmas afternoon, Bud was hit by a drunk driver, and Mom died last night! I'm alone!" I couldn't say much else. My breathing had become shaky, and tears were pouring from my eyes like rain.

"Oh, Travis. That must really stink." she was saddly.

"I miss the old days. I miss the old Conner, and camp Half-Blood, and …" I sniffled again.

"I called to tell you merry Christmas, though it wasn't very merry, and Conner couldn't find your new phone number, but he wanted me to tell you he's going back to Colorado, and wants to stay with you for a while. He should be there around noon."

The rest of the conversation I didn't pay attention to. __

_Homeboy_

_Come on home boy_

_Homeboy_

I looked up when I answered the door. It was about 3 in the afternoon, and I hadn't gotten out of bed for anything except to use the bathroom, but even that was only when I really, really, really had to go. I just wanted to stay in bed, and sulk.

"Forgive me?" Conner asked, looking rather small. He had his pants pulled up this time, and was wearing simple, comfortable-looking jeans with a baggy T-shirt. His hat was facing the right way, and his shoes didn't look like they were 500 dollars.

"So many to forgive…" I mumbled.

"What?" Conner cocked his head, the way he used to before this whole mess started.

"So many deaths, so alone…." I walked over to the couch before my vision became blurry.

"Travis, what are you talking about?" Conner demanded.

"Im talking about Frilly, and Bud, and Mom."

"What, did that do something wrong?"

"No. Frilly was waiting for you yesterday. The poor dog….her big, gentle, loving heart couldn't keep beating anymore, Conner. She died waiting for you. Bud was hit by a car later that night, by some drunk drivers….Mom died about an hour later….all on Christmas!" and I completely broke down. The fist finally came forward and smashed into my face. Conner came and sat next to me.

"All three? In one day?" he asked.

"In less then twelve hours." I leaned on his shoulder.

"Im sorry I wasn't here. I should've stayed with you." He muttered.

And we both broke down together. The pain of the past five years, the five years Conner spent in the city with drugs and crime, was released again, but this time, we had each other for comfort.

__

_Come on home boy_

**THIS WAS NOT IN ANYWAY A TRAVIS/CONNER PAIRING! THEY ARE BROTHERS, AND WERE COMFORTING EACH OTHER BECAUSE OF CONNERS JERKY-NESS, AND TRAVIS DEPRESSED-NESS!**

**Please review! XP**


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